Chapter 3 Andy Leaves The Academy

 "You need to raise three thousand dollars, I believe, Neighbor Grant?" began the squire¹.

 

"Yes, squire."

 

"Three thousand dollars is a good deal of money."

 

"I realize that," said Mr. Grant, sadly.

 

"I was about to say it is a good deal to raise on the security of the farm."

 

"The farm cost me six thousand dollars."

 

"It would fetch only five thousand now. It wouldn't fetch that at a forced sale."

 

"But for my losses, I wouldn't consider an offer of less than six thousand."

 

"Of course, you are attached to it, and that gives it a fancy value in your eyes."

 

"It is good land and productive. Then, it is well situated², and the buildings are good."

 

"Well, tolerable," said the squire, cautiously. "However, that's neither here nor there. You want three thousand dollars, and I have agreed to let you have it. I will take a mortgage for two years, the interest being, as usual, six per cent."

 

"Two years?" repeated Farmer Grant, uneasily.

 

"Yes. I am not sure that I can spare the money longer than two years. I give you that time to pay it off."

 

"But it will be impossible for me to pay it off in two years. In fact, it will take all my income to live and pay the interest."

 

"Of course that isn't my lookout³."

 

"Do you mean that you will foreclose in two years?"

 

"Not necessarily. I may not need the money so soon. Besides, you may find some one else to take it off my hands."

 

"Can't you say five years, squire?" pleaded the farmer.

 

Squire Carter shook his head.

 

"No; you can take it or leave it. I am not at all anxious to take the mortgage, and if my terms are not agreeable, we will consider the negotiations⁴ at an end."

 

"I won't make any difficulty, squire; I accept your terms."

 

"That is sensible. I can't, for my part, see how five years would have been more favorable to you than two."

 

"My son Andrew is sixteen. By the time he is twenty-one he might help me."

 

"There's not much chance of that--unless he marries a fortune," said the squire, jocosely⁵. "I suppose you will keep him at home to help you on the farm?"

 

"We haven't talked the matter over yet. I will consult his wishes as far as I can. He can't earn much money on the farm. What are you going to do with your son?"

 

"Conrad will probably be a merchant, or a banker," said the squire, pompously⁶.

 

"With your means you can select any path in life for him."

 

"True; as my son he will have a great advantage. Well, as our business is arranged, I will leave you. If you will call at Lawyer Tower's office to-morrow at noon the papers can be drawn⁷ up, and I will give you a check for the money."

 

"Thank you, squire. I will meet the appointment."

 

"If you don't want Andrew to work on the farm I will turn over his case in my mind and see if I can get him a position."

 

"Thank you. I should be glad to have him well started in some business where he can raise himself."

 

As the term of the academy was so nearly completed, Andy went back with his father's permission, to remain till vacation. He sought an interview at once with Dr. Crabb, the principal, and informed him of the necessity he was under of leaving the institution.

 

"I am really sorry, Andrew," said the doctor. "You are one of my best pupils. I am not sure but the best. There is scarcely one that I would not sooner lose. I shall be willing to take you for half price--that is, for one hundred and fifty dollars--till you are ready for college."

 

"Thank you, Dr. Crabb," replied Andy, gratefully. "You are very kind, but even that sum my father, in his changed circumstances, would be unable to pay. Besides, it would be quite out of my power to go to college even if I were prepared."

 

"It is a thousand pities," said the principal, with concern. "If you must leave, you must. I am not sure but I should be willing to take you gratuitously⁸."

 

"Thank you; but I feel that I ought to go to work at once to help my father. It is not enough that I free him from expense."

 

"No doubt you are right. I respect you for your determination. You need not hesitate to apply to me at any time in the future if you see any way in which I can be of service to you."

 

"I think it will help me if you will give me a letter of recommendation, which I can show to any one from whom I seek employment."

 

"I will give you such a letter with great pleasure;" and the doctor, sitting down at his desk, wrote a first-class recommendation of his favorite pupil.

 

There was general regret in the academy when it was learned that Andy must leave them. One little boy of twelve--Dudley Cameron, a special favorite of Andy--came to him to ask if there was no way by which he could manage to stay.

 

"No, Dudley! I am too poor," said Andy.

 

"If I write to papa and ask him to send you a thousand dollars, will you stay?" asked the little boy, earnestly.

 

"No, Dudley; you mustn't do anything of the kind. Even if your father liked me as well as you do, and would give me the money, I could not take it. I must go to work to help my father."

 

"You will write to me sometimes, Andy?"

 

"Yes; I will be sure to do that."

 

The little fellow's warm-hearted offer, and the expressions of sympathy and regret on the part of his schoolmates, cheered Andy. It was pleasant to think that he would be missed.

 

On the closing day he received the first prize for scholarship from the hands of Dr. Crabb.

 

"You will take my best wishes with you, Andy," said the venerable principal. "Let me hear from you when you have made any business arrangement."

 

The farewells were said, and Andy set out on his return home.

 

He was leaving the old life behind him. A new one lay before him, but what it was to be he could not foresee.

 

He reached Arden in due course and set out to walk home. He had barely started when he heard his name called.

 

Looking around, he saw Conrad Carter, the squire's only son, on his bicycle.

 

"So you've come home from the academy?" said Conrad, curiously⁹.

 

"Yes," answered Andy, briefly¹⁰.

 

He never could bring himself to like Conrad, who made himself offensive and unpopular by his airs of superiority. Indeed, there was no boy in Arden so thoroughly¹¹ disliked as Conrad.

 

"You'll have a pretty long vacation," went on Conrad, with a significant laugh.

 

"Yes, I suppose so."

 

"Oh, well, it's the best thing for you. I thought it foolish when your father sent you off to the academy. If the Arden grammar school is good enough for me it is good enough for you."

 

"There is nothing to prevent your going to the academy."

 

"I know that. My father could afford it, even if it cost a good deal more. You wanted to go to college, didn't you?"

 

"Yes."

 

"It was very foolish for a poor boy like you."

 

"Of course your age and experience make your opinion of value," said Andy, with a sarcasm¹² which he did not care to conceal¹³.

 

"I advise you not to be too independent," returned Conrad, displeased¹⁴. "Are you going to work on the farm?"

 

"I may till I get a situation."

 

"I'll speak to father. He might take you for an errand boy."

 

"I don't think that place would suit me."

 

"Why not?"

 

"I want to go into some mercantile establishment and learn business."

 

"That's what I am going to do when I get through school. Of course there is no hurry in my case."

 

"I suppose not."

 

"I suppose you know that my father has taken a mortgage on your father's farm?"

 

"Yes, I know that."

 

"If your father can't pay the mortgage when it is due, father will have to take the farm."

 

Andy made no answer, but thought Conrad more disagreeable than ever. By way of changing the conversation, he said:

 

"That's a new bicycle, isn't it?"

 

"Yes; I got tired of the old one. This is a very expensive one. Wouldn't you like to own a bicycle?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Of course, you never will."

 

"Then I must be content without one."

 

"Well, I must leave you. I'll come around soon and see you ride a horse to plow¹⁵."

 

As Conrad sped away on his wheel, Andy said to himself:

 

"I shouldn't like to be rich if it made me as disagreeable as Conrad."

1 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

2 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

3 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 jocosely   

adv.说玩笑地，诙谐地

参考例句：

6 pompously   

adv.傲慢地，盛大壮观地；大模大样

参考例句：

• He pompously described his achievements. 他很夸耀地描述了自己所取得的成绩。 来自互联网

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

8 gratuitously   

平白

参考例句：

• They rebuild their houses for them gratuitously when they are ruined. 如果他们的房屋要坍了，就会有人替他们重盖，不要工资。 来自互联网
• He insulted us gratuitously. 他在毫无理由的情况下侮辱了我们。 来自互联网

9 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

10 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

11 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

12 sarcasm   

n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic）

参考例句：

• His sarcasm hurt her feelings.他的讽刺伤害了她的感情。
• She was given to using bitter sarcasm.她惯于用尖酸刻薄语言挖苦人。

13 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

14 displeased   

a.不快的

参考例句：

• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。
• He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。

15 plow   

n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough

参考例句：

• At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
• We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后，我们将马上耕田。